HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS — Good luck deciphering what’s real and what’s patently absurd in regards to the on-again, off-again saga that is the Los Angeles Clippers’ pursuit of Doc Rivers as their next coach.

Franchises making trades to appease coaches, who in turn will walk away from one team to coach another … it’s news from basketball’s bizarro world. And free agency is still two weeks away.

As of this morning, Rivers remains the Boston Celtics’ coach, with three years and $21 million on a contract that the Celtics would love for him to see through. The Clippers have two other prime choices, Indiana Pacers assistant coach Brian Shaw and former Memphis Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins, ready and willing to take over the reins of a franchise coming off its finest season in history.

Discussions over a blockbuster deal reached an impasse on Saturday when Boston general manager Danny Ainge held firm that Bledsoe had to be a part of package that included DeAndre Jordan and a first-round pick, but sources say that Boston has shown a willingness to find another asset to supplant Bledsoe and complete the complicated deal, sources said.

The Clippers are prepared to give Rivers a five-year deal to coach and believe acquiring Rivers and Garnett – who will waive his no-trade clause – will lock up the re-signing of free-agent superstar Chris Paul, sources said.

The prospects of bringing Rivers back to the Celtics have become less appealing for Boston, who understand, as one league executive said, “There’s no putting the genie back in the bottle. You can’t pretend this didn’t happen and just go back to work.”

Even if we are to believe that a Clippers-Celtics trade is contingent upon the Celtics getting their hands on Bledsoe, we all have to swallow the reality that this is still a system where marquee coaches and players continue to rule the world. Because no fringe player should ever hold up a slam-dunk deal that involves a franchise starving for direction and leadership missing out on a leader like Rivers.

The complications arise when you try to figure out what Rivers has in mind without hearing him explain it. He hasn’t uttered a public word about his intentions, leaving others to speculate about what it is he plans to do regarding his future — with the Celtics and in coaching altogether.

The potential trade with the Los Angeles Clippers that would have freed up Doc Rivers to coach them is still considered a no-go.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean Rivers will be back on the sidelines as the Celtics head coach this season.

A league source tells CSNNE.com that Rivers has not entirely ruled out taking some time off to resume his broadcasting career and return afterwards to coach.

“You guys (media) have been around Doc long enough to know that’s always been something he’s talked about,” the source said. “So it shouldn’t come as a surprise. And frankly, now is probably as good a time as any for him to go that route.”

If Rivers needs an escape route for the rebuilding process that seems inevitable in Boston, rekindling his broadcast roots might be the best route. The ill will a potential move to the Clippers’ bench will foster in Boston will be severe.

But if the Clippers are serious not only about acquiring Rivers, Garnett and Paul Pierce to pair with Paul, but also pursuing and eventually adding Dwight Howard, who is central to Phase II of this fantasy basketball plot, consider me impressed by the audacity of the Clippers to dream this big.

Never mind that the Lakers still believe that Howard will stick around. Building a future around the game’s best big man is much easier to do than building around an All-Star like Blake Griffin, who would have to be a part of any theoretical sign-and-trade deal.

(The Lakers doing this sort of business with the Clippers is yet another patently absurd idea that, in this environment, is every bit as plausible as anything else we’ve heard.)

If all of this hinged on the return of an injured stars like, say, Kobe Bryant or Rajon Rondo, all of the hand-wringing over the minutiae would make a little more sense. Any time there is a potential blockbuster deal to be made, you have to be willing to listen. Ainge has always been willing to do so and the Lakers and Clippers have not been strangers to the blockbuster in recent seasons (both Paul and Howard were acquired via blockbuster deals).

But for all of this to rest on the shoulders of Paul’s backup, albeit a talented young player in his own right, just doesn’t seem right.

104 Comments

I say dump Howard. Let him go. We never should have acquired him anyway. He never wanted to be a Laker, he just wanted out of Orlando. So lets trsde him to the Clippers for Griffin. Griffin is trainable, he wants to win, he plays hard everynight, he plays with heart snd I think he will mentor well under Kobe. Plus he doesn’t have a bad back.

This is exactly why the Clippers don’t want him…By the way, trading a forward for a center is not a good idea. You listen to too much ESPN “LA”, which by the way stands for Lakers not Los Angeles… Yeah the Lakers want to get rid of him because he doesn’t want to play for Kobe. Then Lakers want the hardest working basketball player in the world (right next to Kobe) for a Lazy comedian with a bad back….uh…no

If u r a Boston fan u should want this deal only if Boston plans to replace a great coach with a good/decent coach…get rid of kg n da truth for good young talentbefore they retire n se just have 1 championship to show for i, which I appreciate it…n if u r a fan of the nba period lets get this deall done so someone can compete with the heat n okcs of this day n aged

No matter what the clips do…if Duncan and Ginobili return next season, they will win the West again. If Duncan retires along with Ginobili…count on Howard going to SA to play with Pop, Parker, Green and Leonard…they will win with that scenario also…no matter what happens in LA…they will not win..sorry LA, but it will not happen as long as Griffin can not shoot jump shots.

averages 40% from 10-15 feet and 50% from 3-9 feet out. And obviously 76.7% at the rim. I don’t know about you but if I had a player that hit that from the rim, he’d kick it at the rim.Even dwight howard is only 70% at the rim and you aren’t talking about his jump shot ability. And by the way, Garnetts last year as a PF he was 40%, 47% and 67%. Stop listening to Barkley and watch a game or two

this is not even worth talking about, if you have seen the things that Eric Beldsoe has done this season you would most definitely think other wise and Deandre Jordan has just started a great a path in his career that could easily make him one of the most known center’s their is, especially with his trio with Blake griffin and Chris Paul, KG didn’t show up much to me last year like he has done in the present years, even though he could still bee a threat, the clippers is not a team fit for him, the clippers have their team together now all they need to do is to find a way to win and make it to the finals.

Coach means nothing without players. Don’t forget Michael Jordan got Doug Collins fired because Doug knew Mike was great before Mike did (Doug said he should bring up the ball to have it in his hands right away, Mike said I’m not a point guard – guess what Mike got the ball from out of bounds the rest of his career right away) Also Phil Jackson only went where the best player at the time was – Michel Jordan & Kobe. You need players in basketball coaches don’t coach anymore. You give your best player high five on the way out period and hope for the best. Trade for great players and win

1 d jordan stinks
2 bledsoe is not a great as there making it seem
3 i thought garnett wanted to stay in boston with pierce
4 only an idiot would trade a coach let alone doc rivers
just listen to all this it sounds stupid absurd idiotic

So many fans here criticize Ainge for lack of direction or wrong trade & decisions in the past (not the current Clips talk). Please grow up!!! NBA is as commercial as ever. Players know that. So the loyalty thing is nice to have but even if you want to show the player you are loyal to them, they come bk & say bye without even a thank you & move on.

Trading Perkins for Green & Kristic is not a bad deal. Perkins is a solid defensive center but talent level incomparable to Green, who’s starting to learn to play D the right way & rebound. He learned a lot from KG under his wing. If it weren’t for his heart surgery, he’d be even better after 2 yrs under mentoring with KG & Doc. For Perkins to stay, the upside is little in terms of what more he can do but he’ll be demanding a lot of money & Ainge has to consider paying this amount for a guy with little upside while the other with huge potential & talent.

So I’d challenge anyone of you to try to be Ainge, who’s responsible for the profit & loss & long term viability to the shareholders / owners, to consider all aspects before you criticize.

Now this deal is still an exploratory one. Is it by chance it flowed into the open or by the Clips who’s trying to use the public to influence CP3, and for KG’s reactions as well as Doc’s? Normally these kind of talks should stay hidden esp so prelim to avoid affecting players.

For the deal, DA & Bledsoe plus draft picks can help rebuild the Celtics, not to mention the number of free agents available in the market to beef up the Celtics’ team. But without Doc, who’s the right man to build the culture amongst all these young guys? Unless Doc wants out, & KG also, what is the big incentive to shop them around?

Clips get KG but loses an extremely good backup in Bledsoe, making them thin at PG esp Billups is on his downward spiral. Losing DA also will mean Clips will not have a solid youngster to groom. Though they can likely make it up in the free agent mkt if salary cap allows. Also, not sure how the contracting for these 2 guys in the trade rumours are as Clips might also have to look at the medium term in order to retain them.

I still don’t see how this deal can work out esp for Boston as it essentially destroys the system in place & they hv to search for new identity & a new system under an uncertain coach & with an unstable Rondo.

Never understood this deal to begin with. Horrible on the Clippers part… giving up 2 good young players as well as not 1 but 2 draft picks for a 37 year old center and a new coach ?? Boston should pull the trigger on this deal no question. but if it doesn’t fall through, LA would be much better off trying to link a deal signing Hollins as the coach and using those trade chips to bring Dwight to the Clips somehow

for me,,,,, Boston will reject all those trade scenario,,, Their still have a TALENT to PROVE,,,,,, …………that send them to the FINALS…… Specially, when RAJON RONDO’s back with Sullinger…………….. keep it up GUYS….

for me,,,,, Boston will reject all those trade scenario,,, Their still have a TALENT to PROVE,,,,,, …………that send them to the FINALS…… Specially, when RAJON RONDO’s back with Sullinger…………….. keep it up GUYS….

I agree with the last comment. Danny Ainge isn’t loyal to his players and has made poor many poor decisions. Doc and KG for Deandre Jordan and picks is another one. I hope it doesn’t happen and PP and Kg can finish their careers in Boston.

Miami Heat: Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra please trade Chris Bosh for Dwight Howard or Tyson Chandler and an all-star point guard please. You are getting creamed in the middle and point guard positions.

If CP3 & DH12 want to play together, and both LA teams will not sign and trade to each other, then Boston might come in play. Cl
Boston sends Rondo + Garnett + Sullinger to Clippers, and sends Pierce + Bradely + 1st round to Lakers. Bradely and Sully and 1st rounder are sweetners to the deal to help make it happen. Clippers send CP3 (sign and trade) + Willi Green to Celtics and sends Deandre Jordan to Lakers. Lakers send DH12 (sign & trade) + Duhon to Celtics and MWP to Clippers. With this, Salaries match, Clips and Lakers are contenders again while also acquiring young talents. Celtics get to pair a couple of all stars with their existing players of Green, Terry and Lee

I really don’t know what’s going on GM Danny Ainge’s mind… he should weigh the options very carefully… trading away Perkins to OKC after getting the 2008 championship, bad move for me… Pierce is the franchise player for the C’s, it’s awkward to see him play next year out of Boston, same goes for KG… Coach Doc, he should stay for a couple of years before deciding on his next move… other guys for the C’s should work doubly hard… they might need role players like Jamal Crawford or Monta Ellis… as for the 2013 NBA Finals (prediction): Spurs in 6 or Heat in 7…🙂

if the Celtics had Rondo healthy this season then none of this would be talked about. KG and PP would be retiring Celtics and they’d be looking to the draft to build. Bad move but beinf a Celtics fan I’m getting used to bad deals that don’t help

Best deal to me is getting Shaw or Hollins as coach. Give Shaw a chance, he is Kobe approved and that should be strong consideration for Mr Shaw. As for the best trade, I don’t want to see BG go but if it sends him to the Lakers and Dwight to the Clips where he may really want to go. I approve big time because LA still gets to keep Blake Griffen. BAD TRADE MOVE Garnett and Rivers, the reason is Age for Garnet and price. Rivers same reason too much money. It would be cheaper to get Shaw and let him earn those dollars. I repeat Shaw is Kobe approved!!!

Doc Rivers should stay with Boston with all the things he done with them and the Celtics are one of the best teams in the league and making Doc or Garnett just leave and go to Clippers. Boston Celtics fall and Clippers go up with Doc, CP3, Billups, Garnett, Griffin and possibly more

Danny Ainge has made awful awful basketball decisions throughout his run. Always involved with trade rumors (Ray Allen, Pierce, Rondo, etc.), and going through with bad ones (Perkins). The roster turnover rate for all the former champions has been considerably high. On a team of only 15 players the Celtics have signed, traded, and lost 45 players in the 6 years since they won the title? And the only player they have legit developed since is Rondo? Are you ready for a rebuild under a directionless Ainge?

Plus Garnett basically said that he’s a Celtic for life and why would Doc go to Clippers he’s got RAJON RONDO another great point guard plus Paul Peirce, Bradley with his amazing steals at his position. Plus celtics already lost Ray Allen and Now more And what happens if he goes to Clippers and this just all doesn’t work out

This is ridiculous, really it is. Garnett, Pierce and Doc to the Clippers, I don’t believe it. Paul Pierce should never play for another franchise ever, once his current deal is down so should he be. When it’s over move on, listen to Barkley, people. If Garnett plays anywhere besides Boston, it should be back home in a Timberwolves jersey and Doc should finish his contract in Boston then maybe go someplace else. Whoever heard of trading a coach…

Sorry bro..Although I agree with your point about Pierce, Garnett aint going to Minnesota…it’s freezing cold and he regretted not leaving there earlier. He admitted that loyalty hurt him in that decision. And Rivers, wants out, period…So if Rivers leaves to LA, Garnett may consider it, considering Billups is one of his best friends. Then if Rivers and Garnett skip town, there aint anyone left in Boston that Pierce will need to be loyal too. By the way, he was born in LA. INGLEWOOOOOD!!!

Chris Paul needs Lionel Hollins, not soft Billups, an rethread Garnett….Doc is a good good coach, but Lionel is a great coach. We the basketball world want to see Lionel coach a marque player, cause he made a so-so team, top four material. One are two tweaks, an Chris Paul gets his ring next year

PP and KG deserve to retire Celtics. Did San Antonio threaten to blow up their big three when they went out in the first round last year.? If you want players and coaches to be loyal, their names can’t be thrown around in trade rumors every year like Danny Ainge does. – Especially Hall of famers like KG, PP, and Ray Allen.

Which is why it won’t happen. Clippers aren’t that desperate…Unless the Celtics give them some picks and Jeff Green:) Keep in mind, Garnett is old, and Rivers isn’t that necessary. Brian Shaw is awesome and Lionel Hollins may have been one of the only coaches that could have taken down the Clippers this year..In fact, he almost took down the Spurs…

Question: Why would the Celtics be this adamant about getting Bledsoe if they weren’t hoping to trade Rondo? Would a backup point guard really be a deal-breaker for a team with a million other question marks? Or are they planning to trade Rondo and restructure their team away from a PG dominant model, possibly to get a dominant scorer?

Obviously these are all rumors, it could just be hard bargaining on Ainge’s part or any number of other things, but it definitely makes you stop and think.

This deal will happen and it will be finalized by 9pm EST. The only way it does not happen is that Doc decides that he is not coaching anywhere and goes back to the booth. Also Bledsoe is off the table the Celtics will be getting Butler along with DeAndre Jordan. C’s unload Pierce along with Garnett and Doc it frees them up financially Butlers contract is only for one more year!!! Great move Danny!!!!

Can the adults in the room please start talking about reality??? Speculation is fun, but obnoxious speculation is annoying. Even if these Doc to Clippers rumors are true, I doubt that it will become reality. There are too many legal and personal loopholes for everyone to do in order to make even that even become close to a realistic thing. Plus technically I think since Doc is under contract it may be considered tampering by the league. I will believe it when I see it.

“Good luck deciphering what’s real and what’s patently absurd…”??? You’re kidding, right? You are one of the 1st to start this rumor mill and now you’re labeling it as absurd. I would love it if none of this took place that you (and others) are speculating about. What happened to solid, honest reporting? Try this as a novel approach: Allow something to take place, confirm that it TOOK place, THEN report the facts about what has TAKEN place.

This is a great deal for the Clippers, and the Celtics if you look at it perspectively they Clippers are trying to build a team that can win now and they want CP3 back the only way to do that is to continue to improve and with KG and Doc that would be the only way. Boston would get younger and free up cap space to make them a contender again and maybe the chance to spotlight their up and comers like Jeff Green and Rondo more than the big 3 that has become the big 2.

i would love to see doc kg, and PP back in boston and I think they would have a good chance at a title shot with a healthy rondo, sulligner, and a much improved jeff green. they need to lessen the roles of the old guys like kg and pp and add some decent new big guys, maybe a Samuel dalebert or andray blacthe, and they still have a good fight in em

Don’t get it…Why would the Clips give away two relativly young players, just to aquire one coach and two “stars” after there prime just to get one shot at the champs, instead of beeing an alltime PO thread with a chance to improve the team season by season. I mean, Boston would have all rebuilding thoughts cleared in one trade but the clips should be happy to have a team that is able to contend. With this trade LA will be in rebuilding mode next/in 2 years again

Because the nba is all about what have you done for me lately, there is no time like now. Plus, imagine how many seats they’ll sell if that actually happened. But since that will never happen, lets talk about what will… HEAT IN 7.

This is a terrible deal for the Celtics. I hope it doesn’t become true. Ainge shouldn’t rush anything, he cannot compete with the Heat, Spurs or Thunder right now, but he might in 2-3 years if he gets a great center in the draft. The other 4 spots have amazing talent with Rondo, Bradley, Green and Sullinger – with Pierce and Garnett as teachers who can still play, the team will continue to grow and contend pretty soon. Give it more time, we don’t want the 1990’s back.

Maybe y’all missed the memo…..Celts an Lakers ….”used to be great”……not anymore….that is why they are “desperate” to get ‘headlines’ during the finals……because that is ALL they will be getting as far as “The Finals” goes …….for years……hope you enjoyed the ride……bye,bye has beens……..can’t just shuffle in players and expect to “WIN” right away like you did with the destruction of the T-Wolves and the Sonics….those days are Long Gone with the new cba…..but the “dreaming” continues……

WILL SOMEBODY TAKE AND REMOVE ALL ELECTRONIC GADGETS THAT ARE KEYBOARD CAPABLE FROM THIS GUY. PLEASE DO US ALL A FAVOR AND UNPLUG YOUR INTERNET ACCESS. PEOPLE LIKE YOU SHOULD BE RESTRICTED FROM POSTING FAR-FETCHED FANTASY STATEMENTS.

” YES KEVIN GARNETT, PAUL PIERCE, DWIGHT HOWARD AND CHRIS PAUL WILL TEAM UP BUT NOT IN L.A…”, NOT IN BOSTON EITHER… THEY HAVE ALREADY TEAMED-UP IN OKC TO HELP KEVIN DURANT’S HOMETOWN RE-COOPERATE FROM TORNADO DAMAGE SUSTAINED IN MAY, 2013. THEY ALL SUPPORTED “NBA CARES”. AN ORGANIZATION THAT SUPPORT THE LESS FORTUNATE.

…ARE THEY HELPING U COPE W/ YOUR DISTORTED PERCEPTIONS OF BARGAIN AND TRADES IN THE NBA?

first…Rivers is gone, weither announcing or another team, period. Garnett is done and Paul Pierce is getting ready to throw in the towel.Why the sudden move to an organization that is paying top dollar for Terry and Lee?I It’s an AMAZING organization, but, not right now…They can make another TEAM great but

i cant even follow what this 34yrs fan is trying to say…i am so freaking lost. but yeah the celtics and lakers aren’t anywhere near great as for right now. but THEY ARE and WILL ALWAYS BE…..are u ready for this? THE GREATEST FRANCHISE IN THE NBA HISTORY IN TERMS OF WINNING and CHAMPIONSHIP. I am smelling alot of hate from this 34yrs hater lol. Is okay your team will one day win too. just wait.

Your horrible 10. Peat even as a over exaggeration there s a chance they dont get by the spurs this and that means yes a 3 peat but only as eastern confrence champs and 1 out of 3 in the finals. So keep dreaming about whats more then actually possible and that this year maybe next year so theres a chance they can win 3 in row but next every team will be stacked with either all stars or a deep cast of vets then can give the heat fits so have a good day not a heat hater but I keep it real

Either Chris Paul signs with The Celtics or Danny Ainge can blow up this franchise, if they can’t get 2 other big names this summer (the list has like 30-40 of them), if you can sign 2-3, you are okay, if you can make a sign and trade for Chris Paul, then you are automatically a contender, because then some top 50-100 players will join just because of chances for nba finals action,

The coach is great but he’s done coaching…Garnett is awesome but he’s done, although I’m sure he’d play a few more years if he got to play with Billups, so bringing him here locks down Billups…CP3 is likely to stay because he is now the face of LA especially now that Kobe is hurt…Finally, if they can have Garnett mentoring Griffin, Billups staying for CP3, Sure you set yourself up for a good shot for a couple years but that’s what the Lakers are trying with an old Kobe. They have a young core and should be building for a good 5 or 6 years of playoff shots..

Add Paul Pierce to the Puzzle and Clippers are the new champions: 1. CP3; 2. Billups; 3. Paul Pierce; 4. Grifin; 5. Garnett.. for this to be done Clippers should give everything they have: De andre, Bledsoe and 2,3 Picks in the years to come. Imagine this starting five plus with bench support from Jamal, Barns, Odom….

and Celtics will benefit from this deal, they will add young talent to their group and plus draft picks… its a win-win scenario🙂